Selectors can decide if I should be captain: Dhoni

Kolkata, Dec 9 (IANS) Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Sunday that it is for the selectors to decide whether he should continue to lead India or not, after his team lost the third Test to England here.

"As a leader the challenge has been thrown to me. The easier thing for me now is to say I quit captaincy and be only a part of the side," Dhoni told the media after English beat India by seven wickets.

"That will be running away from the responsibility, though there is BCCI (Board of Cricket for Control in India) to decide.

"For me the responsibility is to get the team together and be ready for the next match," he added.

Dhoni said it was a challenge to lead a side when the chips were down.

"It is always good to lead a side when the side is performing and you are winning. You do not need a leader then.

"When the team is not doing well, you need the team to gel together, back the players and try to move in the direct direction.

"The selectors are here to decide," was Dhoni's reply when asked if he was still the right man to lead the team.

He refused to blame coach Duncan Fletcher and attributed the batting failure for India's dismal performance in the series.

"You cannot question the coach. We have done well under him. He has excellent technical knowledge but once we cross the rope we are on our own.

"We should not really look into excuses and try not to play the blame game and put it on the coach. Ultimately what matters is how the 11 players perform in the middle."

He called the away series in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12) as the "lowest phase" of his captaincy. India had lost both the series 0-4.

Dhoni hoped the problems affecting India would be rectified.

The string of dismal performances of the Indian team for the past one year has led to a chorus for Dhoni's removal from the hot seat.